Why do some songs get stuck in our heads?
Brain's Tiny DJ
Why do some songs get stuck in our heads?
There you are, brushing your teeth, when suddenly — bum-bum-bum — the same four notes start playing in your head. Nobody pressed play. You didn't choose this song. And yet here it is, looping, looping, looping. Scientists actually have a name for this little brain-burglar: an earworm. (No actual worms involved, I promise.)
An earworm is just a small piece of music that plays on repeat in your mind without your permission. It's incredibly common — most people get one almost every week. So if you've ever caught yourself humming the same line all afternoon, congratulations: your brain is perfectly, ordinarily normal.
